1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control device for controlling an image input apparatus such as a camera or the like and more particularly to a device for controlling an image input apparatus of an image communication terminal equipment such as a video conference system or a video telephone system and such as a remote surveillance device.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a front view showing by way of example the arrangement of the conventional terminal equipment for a video conference. Referring to FIG. 1, a camera 111 is arranged on a display device 114 to pick up an image of a user 112. Many windows can be opened on the screen of the display device 114 by means of a known window display system. In the case of FIG. 1, a self-portrait window 116 in which the image of the user 112 picked up by the camera 111 is displayed is disposed in the middle of the screen. A camera control window 118 is disposed on one side of the self-portrait window 116. In the rear of the self-portrait window 116 is disposed another window 120 (showing a clock in this case).
A mouse 122 is provided for designating or inputting an instruction for a desired position on the screen of the display device 114. A cursor 123 is arranged to be displayed on the screen of the display device 114 in a manner corresponding to an operation performed on the mouse 122. Control elements are displayed in the control window 118. Turning on/off of a power supply, a panning or tilting movement to the right, left, upward or downward, a focal length, an exposure and zooming of the camera 111 can be controlled and adjusted by selecting and operating these control elements through the mouse 122. The terminal equipment includes a keyboard 124 and a microphone 126 for inputting voices.
The user 112 normally sits in front of the display device 114. When the mouse 122 or the keyboard 124 is operated to turn on the power supply of the camera 111, the self-portrait window 116 is set in the middle part of the screen of the display device 114. An image picked up by the camera 111 is then displayed in the self-portrait window 116 in a right/left inverted state. The display enables the user 112 to confirm the operating state of the camera 111 and how the user is imaged.
In the case of the conventional arrangement, the camera control window 118 is disposed where its presence is no obstacle to the self-portrait window 116. This arrangement, therefore, necessitates the user 112 to shift his or her visual line frequently to a large extent between a visual line 128a directed to the self-portrait window 116 and another visual line 128b directed to the camera control window 118 in adjusting the conditions of the camera 111.
This problem exists also in remotely operating another camera set at a corresponding terminal equipment while watching an image coming from an image communicating correspondent and appearing in an image receiving window. This problem is detrimental also to a remote operation on a surveillance camera or the like.